Cleaning means for fruits, vegetables, etc.



June 23, 1942.

l R. PEEPLEs CLEANING MEANS FOR FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC

2 sheetssheen 1 Filled Deo. 12., 1940I l? afan/za? /ce/S las @WMM June23, 1942. R. PEEPLES CLEANING MEANS Foa FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC

Filed Dec. l2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ay/0,2% @Lew/wee.

Patented June 23, 1942 vicmfnilhrciMEANsiiOR'Js'RUHS, vEGE'rALEs,"ETc.

Raymondfeeples, Palisade, C'olo. Application December 12,"1940,"Serial'jN0.f36,9899

(Cl.;f146:20-2) 3 Claims.

This invention rrelates generally to improvements in -machines for.cleaning or brushing fruits, vegetables-or` other commodities andhasforits primaryobject to-providea: machine which l.is ,particularlyadapted for the handling and brushingfof peaches to efect-theremoval ofthe fuzz therefrom. l

A4 primaryobjectofa-the kpresent invention to provide VYa .brushing4machine of the character stated .which Vis so .designed thatv it .willhandle peaches. and other tender fruit fwithout bruising or injuring,the same and wi1lat the same` time, veiiectively brush the entirefbodyof the fruit and ,movethefruitthrough from an inlet to'an out- Anotherobject .ofk the .invention is to provide a machine for brush cleaningpeaches or. other vfruit .and vegetablesl which vis constructed in ka.novel Ymanner to-efiect. the relativelyfslowA turning of the fruitYbycertain of thebrushes .-whilethe fruit isv being-.thoroughly brushedor cleaned `by other` ones off.the.brushes,so thatthe-.fruit willloebrushed all aroundto effect-the-complete re- .moval 4of fuzz ,orother `adheringmaterial 4and will come out ,of -themachine vin a.brightand at- 'tractive form.

Still y. another .obj ect of the invention i isto.. provide i al fruitand vegetable vbrushing machine ein which there are employed upper and,lower groups ofparallel .spiral brushes between which the fruitorvegetable passes ^alonga path ,trans versely of the long axes ofthebrushes-sandin which `ajdriving means is provided for 'the brushuesof .the upper and' lowergroups whichlis so organized and controlledthat certain of .thebrushn es of the'lower-group, whilebeingallofithelsame diameter, .will be rotatedat -a Qdiferent'` speed fromthose of the other brushes.offthat-group and at adifferent speed fromthe'brushes ofthe yupper group, as a result of which the fruit lorvegetables will advance .through the machineA in steps or willhaveintermittent movement soas to effect the turning and thetemporaryretarding of the fruit while the upper brushes are workingy thereon.

'Still'another object is toprovide in a machine 'of Athe .characterstated, a.novel arrangement of kthe spiral brushes'whereby .the fruitwill be prevented, inpassing through vthemachine, from working into`groups at one or-the othersides of the machine, as a result of which the'fruit will .pass through in spread-out-condition ksolas to be mosteffectively cleaned.

The invention willbe best understood vfrorrra consideration of thefollowing :detailed description ,taken in,- connection r with the Yaccompanying drawings forming partof this specification, with theunderstanding however, that theinvention is not to becorifnedAtoany..strictconformity with the showing of the drawings but maybechanged or modiedY so long as such changesormodiiications mark nomaterial departurejfromthesal- .ient featuresr of the yinventionas-expressedin the `.driving yconnections between certain Vof thebrushesf onegroup and the powermeanslby which the brushes are operated.

Eig. 3 is a vertical ,sectional viewthrough the machine taken V.on aplane lperpendicular tothe ,axis of rotation forlthe brushes.

lFig. 4 is a view'Y in'top plan oftheupper brush 'Fig-55,'is-a view intopman,ofthelowerbrush Referring now'moreparticularly to the drawings,itv will'beseen'that the machine embodying the present invention has asupporting 'frame of .suitable `design,.the same Abeing here Ashown asincluding vertical cornenposts I, which at their vlower ends are securedto bases'or feet 2, which are jin the form o'f .rails `which .extendtransversely of the machine, and these bases or feet 2'are connected' by.arelatvely wide base plate 3 ,on'which is4 mounted a motor supportingbracket i4. .Upon *,thisbracket .4 is mounted an electric motorfhavingAupon one end of its armature shaft, a drivingpulley 6.

"At their upper ends the corner posts vof the 'frame ksupport a'boxwhich' is indicatedgenerally 'bythe numeral "l and in which fuzz andother material. removed from the fruit and vegetables is.collected.Thisbox comprises the front and vrear endwalls 8 andi), respectively,and the side walls I0 and, as is clearly shown, the side walls extendupwardly a substantial distance beyond 'thetop edgesof the end walls sothat there are provided ,the entrance and exit openings II and I2,,respectively The side walls support on Vtheir ,outer faces 'bearingbarsI3 and extending vthrough the box 'from one side to the other and havingtheirY ends rotatably supported in `these bearing bars, are shafts I 4which are inparallel-relation as shown, and V.which support 2within thevbox fthe 'spiral brushes I5. As will be seen, these spiral brushes forma group lying in a common plane and they are arranged so that the topsof the brushes extend only slightly above the top edges of the end wallsof the box. It will also be noted that the brushes at the end of thegroup are in relatively close proximity to the adjacent end walls andthat all of the brushes are in sufficiently close proximity to oneanother so that when a fruit, such as a peach, passes over the front endwall 8 from a conveyor, not shown, it will move directly onto the top ofthe first brush and cannot fall down between the brush and the end wallnor can it fall down between the brushes as it passes over the firstbrush toward the second one.

These spiral brushes are arranged as is shown in Fig. 4, so thatalternate ones will be of one hand, as for example, they will have thespiral to the right or clockwise, while the other and intermediatebrushes will be of the opposite or left hand. By this arrangement thefruit or vegetables as they pass through the machine will be preventedfrom working toward one side of the machine and will be kept spread outthrough the width of the machine so they can be effectively cleaned.

Certain of the shafts I4 carrying the lower group of spiral brushes haveupon one end thereof sprocket gears I6, the gears all being, of course,upon one side of the machine as shown in Fig. 2. Three of such gears arehere shown and they are shown as being mounted upon alternate brushes sothat the shaft for the second, fourth and sixth brush carries a wheel,but it is to be understood, of course, that any other disposition of thesprocket gears may be made so long as the proper driving of the brushesis accomplished. Connection is made between the driving motor 5 and thesprocket gears I6 through the medium of the pulley wheel |1, which has ashaft I8 which is rotatably supported upon a stub bracket I9 attached tothe frame, and the driving belt 20 and sprocket chain 2|. The belt 26connects the pulley wheel 6 of the motor shaft with the larger wheel I1and the sprocket chain 2| passes over the three sprocket gears in themanner shown and around a small sprocket gear 22, which is keyed to theshaft I8 upon which the wheel I1 is mounted.

Above the bearing bars I3 there are mounted upon the side walls of thebox other bearing bars 23 and these bars have rotatably supportedtherein the ends of shafts 24 which extend across the upper part of thebox 1 and each of which supports a spiral brush 25 which is ofmaterially greater diameter than the brushes I5. The shafts 24 uponwhich the upper and larger spiral brushes 25 are mounted, are arrangedto lie in a vertical plane which passes between a pair of the lowerbrushes I5, as will be seen upon reference to Figs. 4 and 5, where thebrushes of the upper and lower groups are disposed in their properrelative order with the exception that they are both here shown as beingin side by side relation insteadof one above the other. These largerupper brushes are also arranged so that the spirals are alternate, thefirst brush, which is the brush at the entrance end of the box, having aleft-hand spiral as viewed from above, the next brush being of aright-hand spiral.

Upon the side of the machine opposite from the side upon which thesprocket gears I6 are located, a driving connection is establishedbetween the shafts of the brushes of the upper and lower groups wherebythe brushes of one group will all revolve in one direction and will alsorevolve in a direction opposite to the direction of revolution of theother group. By means of this driving arrangement also there is obtaineda novel action which effects the alternate rapid and slow advancing ofthe fruit or vegetables through the machine as a result of which suchfruit or vegetable is rotated and is at the same time made toperiodically slow up in its movement so that it may be thoroughlybrushed or cleaned by the upper rotating spiral brushes 25. This drivingof the brushes in the manner stated is accomplished in the followingmanner. The shafts I4 are provided with the alternate large and smallpulley wheels 26 and 21, the shaft for the first brush having a smallpulley wheel, as shown. The shafts 24 for the upper and larger brushesare provided with pulley wheels 28 which are all of the same size andare preferably of approximately the same size as the smaller wheels 26of the lower brush group.

At the front end of the machine there is supported upon a shaft 29 whichextends transversely of the box below the first one of the brushes ofthe lower group, an idler pulley 30.

Adjacent the rear of the machine there is mounted upon the side walladjacent which the pulleys are located, a plate or bracket 3| which issupported bya bolt 32, so that it may rock vertically on an axisextending transversely of the machine. This bracket 3| supports an idler33 and this idler pulley functions as a belt tightener when the bracket3| is drawn downwardly away from the overlying groups of pulleys. Asuitable means is provided for pulling the bracket 3| downwardly asdesired, in the form of a threaded rod 34 which has one end pivotallyconnected with the bracket 3|, as at 35, between the pivot 32 for thebracket and the pulley 33, and the lower end of this threaded rod 34passes through a fixed bracket 36 which is secured to the adjacent postI of the frame and has threaded thereon a nut 31 which bears against theunder side of the fixed bracket 36. By shifting this nut 31 on thethreaded rod relative to the first bracket 36, the belt tightener pulleymay be raised or lowered, as desired.

The pulleys of the upper and lower groups of brushes are all operativelycoupled together and with the two idlers 30 and 33, by a single belt 38.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, this belt passes across the rear side ofthe first pulley 26, then up and over the first one of the pulleys 28 ofthe upper group and back down across the forward side of the secondpulley of the lower brush group which is a pulley of larger diameter,and then from the under side of this second pulley across the under sideof the third pulley of the lower brush group and around the rear sidethereof and upwardly and over the second pulley of the upper brush groupand so on, finally passing down, around and under the tightener pulley33 and back to the idler 30. With this belt arrangement coupling thepulleys of the upper and lower brush groups and by providing the pulleysof the lower brush group alternately of small and large diameter, thedesired improved brushing action, previously described, is obtained.Since the first brush of the lower `group turns clockwise and the spiralis of the right-hand order and the first brush of the upper group turnscounter-clockwise, it will be readily apparent that as the fruit is fedtoward the inlet |I by a suitable conveyor, it

will be picked up by the smaller brush and moved inwardly between thebrushes, but as it reaches the second one oi the smaller brushes of thelower group, its movement will be somewhat retarded due to the fact thatthis second brush will be rotating at a slower speed than the rst brush,and 'this will give the second brush an opportunity to thoroughly brushthe fruit in cooperation with the rst upper brush 25.

In order that the fuzz and other material removed from the fruits orvegetables may be eectively carried off, the lower part of the box 7 ismade in the form of a downwardly tapering hopper Sii which leads thebrushed off material by way of the p-ipe it to the inlet side of ablower 4l. The fan, which forms a part of this blower, is coupled withthe motor 5, so that the blower can be operated off of this motor aswell as the brushes, and material entering the housing may then bedischarged through the outlet 42 of the housing to a suitable carry-orpipe or receiver. Upon the side of the box where the sprocket gears I6are located, a guard or shield 43 is provided which extends lengthwiseof the box and covers the gears and the portion of the chain passing 1;

over the tops of the gears. This will prevent the accidental tangling ofclothing with the chain and wheels.

What is claimed is:

1. A brushing machine of the character described, comprising a group ofspiral brushes disposed in relatively close parallel relation in acommon plane, said brushes being rotatably supported and being all ofthe same diameter, a second group of spiral brushes disposed in rela- 'ltively close parallel relation in a common plane above and in relativelyclose relation to the rst brushes, the planes of the two groups ofbrushes being parallel and the brushes of the second group beingrotatably supported, pulley members connected with the brushes of therst group, pulley members connected with the brushes of the secondgroup, the pulley members of the first group being alternately of smalland large diameter, and

a driving connection between and common to all of the pulleys of the twogroups and arranged to rotate all of the brushes of the first group inone direction and to rotate all of the brushes of the second group inone direction and oppositely to the direction of rotation of the brushesof the first group.

2. A fruit brushing machine, comprising a box having a bottom outlet andhaving front and rear end walls and side walls, a plurality of elongatedspiral brushes extending transversely of the box and forming a lowergroup in a common plane, said brushes being of substantially the samediameter and in relatively closely spaced relation, means forming fruitinlet and outlet openings at the front and rear ends of the box for thedischarge of fruit into and out of the box in the plane of the tops ofthe brushes, said brushes having the spirals thereof alternately ofright and left-hand order, a second group of brushes lying above thefirst group and comprising a plurality of elongated spiral brush membersof larger diameter than the brush members of the rst group and eachdisposed with its longitudinal axis lying in a vertical plane passingbetween a pair of brushes of the first group, the spirals of the brushesof the second group being alternately of opposite hand, the brushes ofsaid groups being supported for rotation, a driving pulley operativelyconnected with each of the brushes of each group, said driving pulleysall being disposed upon one side of the box, alternate ones of thedriving pulleys for the brushes of the rst group being of differentdiameter from the remaining pulleys of the same group, a single drivingbelt operatively connected with all of the said pulleys of the twogroups to effect the rotation of all of the brushes of the rst group inone direction and the rotation of all of the brushes of the second groupin one direction and oppositely to the brushes of the first group, andmeans for applying rotary power to one of the brushes of one of saidgroups.

3. A fruit brushing machine, comprising a box having a bottom outlet andhaving front and rear end walls and side walls, a plurality of elongatedspiral brushes extending transversely of the box and forming a lowergroup in a common plane, said brushes being of substantially the samediameter and in relatively closely spaced relation, means forming fruitinlet and outlet openings at the front and rear ends of the box for thedischarge of fruit into and out of the box in the plane of the tops ofthe brushes, said brushes having the spirals thereof alternately ofright and left-hand order, a second group of brushes lying above thefirst group and comprising a plurality of elongated spiral brush membersof larger diameter than the brush members of the first group and eachdisposed with its longitudinal axis lying in a vertical plane passingbetween a pair of brushes of the first group, the spirals of the brushesof the second group being alternately of opposite hand, the brushes ofsaid groups being supported for rotation, a driving pulley operativelyconnected with each of the brushes of each group, said driving pulleysall being disposed upon one side of the box, alternate ones of thedriving pulleys for the brushes of the first group being of diierentdiameter from the remaining pulleys of the same group, a single drivingbelt operatively connected with all of the said pulleys of the twogroups to effect the rotation of all of the brushes of the first groupin one direction and the rotation of all of the brushes of the secondgroup in one direction and oppositely to the brushes of the rst group, areceiver connected with the bottom of said box, a blower connected withsaid receiver to extract material from the receiver, a motor operativelycoupled with the blower, and an operative coupling between said motorand a brush of

